Wireless data communication and power transmission athletic apparel module

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods that can be used to collect sensor data from, for instance, a sensor device that has been embedded in an article of apparel. The sensor device can be used, for instance, to monitor the athletic activity of an individual wearing the apparel into which the electronic device has been embedded. Embodiments of the sensor device include a memory, a wireless interface, and one or more processor. With these elements, the sensor device may receive instructions indicating what sensor data to collect, collect the sensor data, store the sensor data, and transmit the stored sensor data to the remote device upon completion of the activity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority as a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/985,938, filed on Aug. 5, 2020, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/356,226, filed onMar. 18, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,742,790, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/375,748, filed on Dec. 12, 2016, nowU.S. Pat. No. 10,237,388, each of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods andsystems that collect and read sensor data using sensors that areembedded in an article of apparel. More particularly, embodiments of thepresent invention relate to methods and systems for collecting sensordata for an individual during an athletic activity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Athletic activity can take many forms—some individuals prefer to engagein team athletic activities such as, for example, soccer or basketball,while other individuals prefer to engage in individual athleticactivities such as, for example, running or skiing. Regardless ofwhether the activity is a team or individual activity, it is becomingmore and more common for individuals to actively track theirperformance.

To that end, athletic monitoring devices can be employed to recordinformation about an individual's performance during an athleticactivity using sensors, and in some cases providing feedback about theindividual's performance. Some portable athletic monitoring devicesemploy sensors attached to a piece of athletic equipment. Such sensorsmay be capable of measuring various parameters associated with theindividual's physical activity, such as motion parameters.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, systems, andmethods that can be used to collect sensor data from, for instance, asensor device that has been embedded in an article of apparel. Forinstance, according to an embodiment, an electronic device that isembedded in an article of apparel is provided. In various embodiments,the electronic device may be either removable or permanently embedded,attached, or adhered to the article of apparel. The electronic devicecan be used, for instance, to monitor the athletic activity of anindividual wearing the apparel into which the electronic device has beenembedded. According to embodiments, the electronic device may include amemory, a wireless interface, and one or more processors communicativelycoupled to the wireless interface and the memory. The wireless interfacemay be further configured to receive power from and transmit data to aremote electronic device. Furthermore, the one or more processors may beconfigured to receive a first signal from the remote electronic devicevia the wireless interface. Additionally, the one or more processors maybe configured to store sensor data recorded by one or more sensors thatare associated with the electronic device in the memory. Upon receivinga second signal from the remote electronic device via the wirelessinterface, the one or more processors may also be configured to transmitthe stored data to the remote electronic device via the wirelessinterface. In some, but not all embodiments, transmitting the storeddata to the remote electronic device may be automatic in response toreceiving the second signal.

In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be furtherconfigured to set a state of the electronic device. For instance, in afirst state, the electronic device may be configured to power off one ormore sensors associated with the electronic device and power on thewireless interface. Conversely, in a second state, the one or moreprocessors may be configured to power on one or more sensors and poweroff the wireless interface.

In some embodiments, the first signal from the remote device may specifyparticular sensor data to be collected by the sensors associated withthe electronic device. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the one or moreprocessors may be further configured to modify the type of sensor datathat is recorded in based on the information contained in the firstsignal form the remote device. The first signal may also specify aduration for which one or more sensors should record sensor dataaccording to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the one or moreprocessors may be further configured to place the electronic device intoa sleep state after the specified duration has elapsed.

According to some embodiments, a method of collecting sensor data froman electronic device embedded in apparel worn by an individual engagedin an athletic activity is provided. According to embodiments, themethod may include receiving a first signal from a remote electronicdevice via a wireless interface. Sensor data recorded by one or moresensors associated with the electronic device may then be stored inmemory. Additionally, upon receiving a second signal from the remoteelectronic device via the wireless interface, the stored data may betransmitted to the remote electronic device via the wireless interface.

Embodiments of the disclosure also include electronic devices formonitoring sensor data generated by a sensor device embedded in anarticle of apparel. As noted above, the sensor device may either beremovable or permanently embedded, adhered, or attached to the articleof apparel. According to embodiments, the electronic device may includea wireless interface configured to transmit and receive power to andfrom a sensor device. Additionally, the electronic device may includeone or more processors communicatively coupled to the wirelessinterface. The one or more processors may be configured to transmit adata signal to the sensor device via the wireless interface. The datasignal may specify sensor data to be collected by the sensor device.According to some embodiments, the one or more processors may beconfigured to transmit a power signal to the sensor device via thewireless interface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying figures, which are incorporated herein, form part ofthe specification and illustrate embodiments of the present invention.Together with the description, the figures further serve to explain theprinciples of and to enable a person skilled in the relevant arts tomake and use the invention.

FIG. 1A is an illustration of a monitoring system using one or moresensor devices embedded in articles of apparel according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram depicting a sensor device inconjunction with several readers according to various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a sensor device according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting sensor datafrom a sensor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting sensor datafrom a sensor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting sensor datafrom a sensor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram depicting a network system that includes asensor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 6B is a sequence chart illustrating communication betweencomponents of a network system that includes a sensor device accordingto various embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a sensor deviceaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of authenticating andcollecting sensor data from a sensor device according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing a securetransaction using a sensor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing measurementsusing a sensor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 11 is an example computer system useful for implementing variousembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toembodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an exampleembodiment”, “some embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodimentdescribed may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include theparticular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrasesare not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic is described inconnection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within theknowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure,or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or notexplicitly described.

The term “invention” or “present invention” as used herein is anon-limiting term and is not intended to refer to any single embodimentof the particular invention but encompasses all possible embodiments asdescribed in the application.

Various aspects of the present invention, or any parts or functionsthereof, may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware,non-transitory tangible computer readable or computer usable storagemedia having instructions stored thereon, or a combination thereof, andmay be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processingsystems.

The present invention generally relates to methods and systems thatcollect, store, and communicate sensor data from a sensing device suchas a sensing device embedded in an article of apparel. Moreparticularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods andsystems for collecting sensor data from a sensor device using a remotedevice to wirelessly power and communicate with the sensor device.Embodiments of the present invention may also relate to methods andsystems for monitoring the output of a sensor device that has beenembedded in an item such as an article of apparel and that may providedata indicative of athletic performance. An individual engaged in anathletic activity (or another interested person such as a coach,teammate, or spectator) may desire to obtain information aboutactivities performed by the wearer of the article of apparel during thecourse of, for example, an athletic activity.

In some embodiments, if an individual wearing an article of apparel withan embedded sensor device participates in an activity, it may bedesirable to, for example, determine various characteristics (e.g.,heart rate, breathing, steps, speed, distance, location, acceleration,temperature, moisture, ambient light, sound, altitude, pressure, orpace, etc.) for use in training.

In an embodiment, the movement of a plurality of pieces of athleticequipment used by a plurality of individuals engaged in an athleticactivity (e.g., teammates or opponents in a team sport) may bemonitored. In some embodiments, real-time monitoring and/or feedback maybe provided, while in other embodiments post-activity feedback may beprovided. In some embodiments, feedback may be provided by an athleticequipment motion monitoring system portable electronic device softwareapplication. Suitable software applications may include, for example,those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,941, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

By using an athletic activity monitoring system including one or moreportable sensors, embodiments of the present invention described belowmay advantageously enable an individual (or a coach, a teammate, or aspectator) to obtain this or other information about the motion of anindividual during the course of the athletic activity. Data obtained bysensors may be processed in a variety of ways to yield usefulinformation about the activity of the individual.

FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary monitoring system 100 that uses sensordevices 106 ₁ and 106 ₂ (collectively and generically referred to assensor device(s) 106 herein) that have been embedded in articles ofapparel. As shown in FIG. 1A, individual 102 is wearing items of apparelin which sensor devices 106 ₁ and 106 ₂ have been embedded. Forinstance, sensor device 106 ₁ is embedded in a shoe worn by individual102. Similarly, sensor device 106 ₂ is embedded in a garment worn byindividual 102. While not specifically shown here, sensor devices couldalso be embedded in other items of apparel (e.g., headbands, hats,wristbands, gloves, jackets, wetsuits, swimsuits, and vests, to name afew non-limiting examples). To obtain information about the actions ofthe individual 102 while wearing the apparel containing the sensordevices (e.g., devices 106 ₁ and 106 ₂), a wireless reader such asremote device 104 may be used to communicate with the sensor devices 106₁ and 106 ₂. In some embodiments, the mobile device 104 may communicatewith sensor device 106 ₁ and 106 ₂ using near-field communicationprotocols.

While FIG. 1A depicts sensor device 106 ₁ embedded in a shoe and sensordevice 106 ₂ embedded in a garment, there are a number of possibledifferent applications and locations for which embedded sensor devices106 may be appropriate. For instance, in some embodiments, sensordevices 106 may operate as textile integrated sweat and/or heatanalyzers, washing temperature control tags, payment devices, accesscontrol devices, and/or for garment usage information collection.Additionally, sensor devices 106 may operate as a textile integratedstep counter tag. In such applications, the sensor device 106 may beembedded in, for instance, the arm, chest, or neck areas of a garmentsuch as a shirt. In such embodiments, the remote device 104 may operateto charge the embedded sensor device 106 before an activity or exerciseand to read the sensor device 106 data after the exercise. According tovarious embodiments, a sensor device 106 may be embedded eitherremovably or permanently in an article of apparel (e.g., clothing orshoes) or in an accessory or piece of athletic equipment (e.g., balls,bats, pads, racquets, clubs, bags, belts, headbands, and wristbands, toname a few non-limiting examples). For instance, in some embodimentssensor devices may be embedded or affixed to an item via, e.g., sewing,gluing, a pocket, integration during manufacturing, to name a fewnon-limiting examples.

In some embodiments, sensor devices 106 may function as textileintegrated heart rate monitor tags. In such embodiments, one or moresensor devices 106 may be embedded in a garment that sits on the waistof individual 102 such as a belt or in a chest strap or bra, forexample. Additionally, in these embodiments, the sensor devices 106 maybe charged before an activity or exercise by the remote device 104 andthe data generated by the sensor devices 106 may be read after theexercises. However, in some embodiments, it would also be possible tohave sensor devices 106 regularly or continuously communicate sensordata to the remote device 104 in substantially real time using, e.g.,NFC, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, WiFi, or any other suitable means ofwireless communication. Additionally, in some embodiments, the sensordevice 106 may include a flexible display integrated with a wrist orsleeve area of a garment of individual 102 with separate sensor devices106 implementing ECG pads. The separate ECG pad sensor devices 106 may,in some embodiments, be integrated into a shirt or other garment worn atan appropriate location on an individual's 102 body.

Embodiments additionally include use of sensor devices 106 to monitorsleep. In such embodiments, the sensor devices 106 may be integratedwith sleep garments such as pajamas or sleeping pants with the sensordevices located, for instance, in a waist area or chest area of thesleep garment. For sleep monitoring, sensor devices 106 could beconfigured to measure night movements, heart rate, and breathing andthis data could be processed and used to generate a sleep qualityindication.

According to various embodiments, the monitoring system 100 may besuitable for monitoring the activities of an individual 102 whileperforming a variety of different individual, team, or ordinaryday-to-day activities. For example, monitoring system 100 according toembodiments of the present invention may be suitable for use byindividuals 102 engaged in athletic activities such as baseball,basketball, bowling, boxing, cricket, cycling, football (i.e., Americanfootball), golf, hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby, running,skateboarding, skiing, soccer (i.e., football), surfing, swimming, tabletennis, tennis, or volleyball, or during training sessions relatedthereto. In addition to its monitoring functions, system 100 may beuseful for a number of other applications. These are described generallyin FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram depicting a system 110 that includes a sensordevice 112 and one or more readers. In various embodiments, sensordevice 112 may be similar to either of sensor devices 106 shown in FIG.1A. And, like in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B depicts the sensor device 112communicating with a mobile device 118, which could be similar to themobile device 104 depicted in FIG. 1A. However, the sensor device 112 ofFIG. 1B is also configured to communicate with a payment reader 114, anaccess reader 116, and/or a wireless reader 120.

In various embodiments, the sensor device 112 may be associated with anaccount corresponding to a particular user (e.g., individual 102) andassociated rights that correspond to that user. For instance, in someembodiments, when sensor device 112 may allow individual 102 to pay forpurchases when it is used to communicate with payment reader 114 at,e.g., a point of sale. Additionally, in some embodiments, the sensordevice 112 may provide access control functionality. For instance, whensensor device 112 communicates with an access reader 116, it may provideproper credentials to grant access to individual 102 to a controlledarea or item. For example, the individual wearing a team uniform couldbe granted access to a locker room, practice facility, or playing fieldby virtue of being identified as an authorized team member. In someembodiments, the sensor device 112 may also provide identificationfunctionality when used in conjunction with, e.g., wireless reader 120.This may have applicability in, for example, a marathon or other racewhere each runner is wearing an item of apparel that has a sensor device112 embedded in it and can be identified using a wireless reader 120that communicates with the sensor device 112.

In the system 110 depicted in FIG. 1B, each of the readers 114, 116,118, and 120 may communicate with the sensor device 112 using near-fieldcommunication (NFC) protocols. In such embodiments, the readers 114,116, 118, and 120 may power the sensor device 112 by wirelessly excitingan NFC circuit contained in the sensor device 112. Additionally, each ofthe readers 114, 116, 118, and 120 may be configured to engage intwo-way communication with the sensor device. This kind of operation ofthe sensor device is described in greater detail with respect to FIG. 2

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram depicting an exemplary sensordevice (e.g., sensor device 112) according to various embodiments. Ascan be seen, the sensor device 112 may comprise one or more processors202, sensors 204, a memory 206, a user interface 210, power circuitry220, and a wireless interface 230.

The one or more processors 202 may comprise, for instance, amicrocontroller that is configured to process transmissions receivedfrom a remote device via the wireless interface 230, operate on thememory 206, and receive and process data from sensors 204. Additionally,the processors 202 may be powered by power circuitry 220. However, insome embodiments, processors 202 may have a separate dedicated powersource.

Sensor device 112 also may include sensors 204 ₁, 204 ₂, . . . , and 204_(N) (collectively referred to herein as “sensors 204”). While FIG. 2depicts sensors 204 as being part of sensor device 112, in someembodiments sensors 204 may be external to sensor device 112. In someembodiments the sensors 204 may be part of the sensor device 112 whenincluding of the sensors 204 at the sensor device 112 is practical ordesirable because of size, weight, location, or durabilitycharacteristics. For example, including an accelerometer module near thechest position on a shirt may not impede the wearer and may generateacceptable data. In other embodiments, the sensors 204 may be externalto sensor device 112 because of size, weight, location, or durabilitycharacteristics. For example, it may be desirable to have the sensordevice 112 located on a wrist band or the wrist area of a shirt for easeof placing the a mobile device 118 in proximity to the sensor device112, while at the same time it may be desirable to place heart ratesensors near the wearer's chest and accelerometers near the user's foot(e.g. in a shoe). Moreover, in some embodiments, sensors 204 may bechangeable and/or replaceable depending on the particular applicationfor which sensor device 112 will be used. Indeed, there are a number ofdifferent ways and/or positions may be employed in the variousembodiments. In some embodiments, only one sensor may be employed, butin other embodiments, multiple sensors may be employed depending on theapplication. Additionally, as noted above, sensors may be placed in anyrelevant part of an item of apparel, equipment, clothing, shoes, etc.

Sensors 204 may be configured to communicate with processor 202 via acommunication channel either in serial or in parallel using anyappropriate communication method such as Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C)bus, a SCSI Parallel Interface (SPI), and/or a universal asynchronousreceiver/transmitter (UART), to name a few non-limiting examples.

In various embodiments, sensors may include sensors for measuring: heartrate (ECG and/or PBG based); a maximum volume of oxygen used; steps,speed, pace, distance, acceleration, temperature, moisture,conductivity, ambient light, ultra violet light, sound, breathing rate,muscle contraction, breathing pattern, altitude, pressure, sweat, or anyother measureable parameters, to name a few examples.

Memory 206 may be non-volatile memory that is capable of storing rawdata from sensors 204 and/or the results of calculations performed byprocessors 202. Additionally, the memory may store any of a number ofparameters (e.g., user personalization parameters such as accountidentification, access rights, height, weight, gender, etc.) for use bythe processors 202. According to various embodiments, memory 206 may beconstructed from any suitable type of memory or combination of types ofmemory such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flash memory, magnetic memory,optical memory, or the like, to name some non-limiting examples.Additionally, the memory 206 may communicate with the microcontrollervia I²C, SPI, UART, or any other suitable serial or parallelcommunication method.

According to some embodiments, the sensor device 112 may also beequipped with “hidden” features that cannot be accessed unless unlocked.In some embodiments, the status (i.e., whether they are locked orunlocked) of the “hidden” features may be stored in the memory. Forinstance, in some embodiments, the “hidden” features by be activated bya communication from one or more remote device (e.g., one of readers114, 116, 118, or 120). By way of example, consider a case where sensordevice 112 is embedded in a pair of shoes, as is shown in FIG. 1A withrespect to sensor device 106. It may be possible to have hidden features(e.g., the calculation of metrics that are relevant to runners) remainlocked until they are specifically unlocked by communication with areader (114, 116, 118, or 120). Once unlocked, the sensor device 112and/or 106 may be enabled to perform the specialized calculations andsubsequently make them available to the individual 102 via mobile device118.

The sensor device 112 may also include a user interface 210. The userinterface may include either or both of an output interface 212 and aninput interface 214. The output interface 212 may be configured tocommunicate information to individual 102. For instance, in someembodiments, the output interface 212 may be a display or indicator. Insuch embodiments, the display may comprise one or more display devices(e.g., LEDs, OLEDs, LCDs, etc.) and can be used to indicate, forinstance, a charging level, a step count, a heart rate, or any of anumber of other possible items. In some instances, the display mayoutput calculated values based on sensor data from sensors 204 that hasbeen calculated by processors 202.

The user interface 210 may also include an input interface 214. Theinput interface may comprise one or more buttons, switches, capacitivetouch devices, or any suitable means for allowing a user such asindividual 102 to interact with sensor device 112. In some embodiments,a user may toggle between different display options using the inputinterface 214. Additionally, user approval of an action taken by sensordevice (e.g., transmitting stored data to a remote device) may bereceived via input interface 214 prior to the action being taken.

The power circuitry 220 may provide power to the various components ofsensor device 112. As shown in FIG. 2, power circuitry 220 includes apower store 222 and management circuitry 224. The power store 222 mayinclude one or more of a battery, capacitor, super capacitor, or hybridcapacitor and can be used as the main power supply for the system.Additionally, the power store 222 can be charged via the powermanagement circuitry 224.

According to various embodiments, the power management circuitry 224 maybe used to charge the power store 222 and to manage power flow duringcharging and usage. During a charging cycle, the power managementcircuitry may be configured to monitor the charge stored on the powerstore 222 and to cut charging when the charge on the power store 222 hasexceeded a predetermined safety threshold for the power store 222.During normal usage (i.e., non-charging), the power management circuitry224 may also monitor the voltage of the power store 222 and cut thepower when the voltage on the power store 222 falls below apredetermined level. In some embodiments, the power management circuitry224 may be responsible for providing power to each of the variouscomponents of sensor device 112.

Wireless interface 230 is responsible for receiving power from andtransmitting data to/from a remote device (e.g., one or more of readers114, 116, 118, and 120). As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless interface 230may comprise an NFC circuit 232, a matching circuit 234, and a coil 236.Additionally, in some embodiments, the wireless interface 230 mayinclude optional harvesting circuitry 238.

The NFC circuit 232 may comprise one or more integrated circuits thatmanage NFC data transmission between sensor device 112 and a remotedevice (e.g., readers 114, 116, 118, and 120) through means of inductiveinteraction. In some embodiments, the NFC circuit 232 may also beconfigured to harvest energy from an NFC signal transmitted by a remotedevice. However, in some embodiments, the harvesting of energy may alsoor instead be performed by separate harvesting circuitry 238. Theharvesting circuitry may include appropriate harvesting circuitcomponents such as a rectifier, capacitor, and a voltage detector.

Matching components 234 may be used to adjust the frequency band ofsignals to resonance with the frequency used by the transmitter of aremote device. For instance, when NFC is being used, the matchingcomponents could be adjusted to the NFC frequency of 13.54 MHz.According to some embodiments, the matching circuitry may be dynamic andable to match to multiple frequencies.

Coil 236 may comprise one or more coils for use in data transmission andwireless power transfer from a remote device (e.g., readers 114, 116,118, and 120). In some embodiments, the coil 236 may be integrated intoa printed circuit board of the sensor device 112. However coil 236 mayalso be implemented as one or more separate coils in some embodiments.In some embodiments, the coil 236 may have an inductance between 0.5 μFand 2.5 μF.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting a method 300 of collecting sensor dataaccording to various embodiments. For ease of explanation, FIG. 3 willbe described with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. However, it should beunderstood that this is just for convenience and that the methoddepicted in FIG. 3 should not be construed as being limited to thosespecific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 3, method 300 begins at 302 when a signal from a reader(e.g., device 104) is detected by the sensor device 112. According tovarious embodiments, this first signal detected by the sensor device 112may contain data as well as power, which can be harvested from thesignal via inductive coupling by the wireless interface 230. Theharvested power can then be used by power circuitry 220 to charge thepower store 222.

At 304, after detecting the signal, the sensor device 112 may beconfigured to begin collecting raw sensor data from sensors 204. Forinstance, the one or more sensors may collect a variety of differentdata elements (e.g., heart rate (ECG and/or PBG based); a maximum volumeof oxygen used; steps, speed, pace, distance, acceleration, temperature,moisture, conductivity, ambient light, ultra violet light, sound,breathing rate, muscle contraction, breathing pattern, altitude,pressure, sweat, etc.). The raw data elements from sensors 204 may thenbe conveyed to the processors 202 for processing at 306. At 308, theprocessors 202 may store either or both of the raw data elements fromthe sensors or processed values based on the raw values in memory 206.

Upon detecting a subsequent signal from a remote device (e.g., mobiledevice 104), at 310, the sensor device 112 may be configured to transmitsome or all of the data stored in memory (e.g., either or both of theraw data elements from the sensors or processed values based on the rawvalues in memory 206) to the remote device at 312. According to someembodiments, one or more of the signals received from remote device 104by the sensor device 112 may also be used to provide power and/or chargethe power store 222 of the sensor device. 112. Additionally, in someembodiments, whenever a remote device comes in to close proximity withthe sensor device 112 (i.e., it is “tapped”), then the remote device maytransmit energy to the sensor device allowing sensor device 112 to powerits processor(s) 202 such that they can perform calculations on raw datacollected from sensors 204. This can enable the sensor device 112 totransmit finished data to the remote device instead of raw data withoutusing energy stored in the sensor device 112. In some embodiments, thesensor device 112 may also and/or instead transmit the raw data. Amethod of operating such embodiments is described with respect to FIG.4, below.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting a method 400 of collecting sensor dataand charging a sensor device 112 according to various embodiments. Aswas the case for FIG. 3, FIG. 4 will be described with respect to FIGS.1A, 1B, and 2. However, it should be understood that this is just forconvenience and that the method depicted in FIG. 4 should not beconstrued as being limited to those specific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 3, method 400 begins at 402 when a signal from a remotedevice (e.g., device 104) is detected by the sensor device 112.According to various embodiments, this first signal detected by thesensor device 112 may contain data as well as power, which can beharvested from the signal via inductive coupling by the wirelessinterface 230. The harvested power can then be used by power circuitry220 to charge the power store 222.

At 404, the sensor device 112 determines whether it has sufficientstored power it its power store. If not, then at 406, the sensor devicemay inductively charge its power store 222 using power circuitry andeither the NFC circuit 232 or the separate harvesting circuit 238 toobtain power from the signal transmitted by the remote device 104. Aftercharging the power store, the method 400 proceeds to 408. In someembodiments, charging may occur every single time the sensor device 112is in close proximity with the remote device 104 (i.e., “tapped”) and/orcan end when the power store 222 is full. Additionally, datatransmission to/from remote device 104 may occur simultaneously withpower transmission from the remote device 104, though in someembodiments data transmission and power transmission may occurindependently.

At 308, after detecting the signal and/or charging the power store, thesensor device 112 may be configured to begin collecting raw sensor datafrom sensors 204. For instance, the one or more sensors may collect avariety of different data elements (e.g., heart rate (ECG and/or PBGbased); a maximum volume of oxygen used; steps, speed, distance,acceleration, temperature, moisture, conductivity, ambient light, ultraviolet light, sound, breathing rate, muscle contraction, breathingpattern, altitude, pressure, sweat, etc.). The raw data elements fromsensors 204 may then be conveyed to the processors 202 for processing at410. At 412, the processors 202 may store either or both of the raw dataelements from the sensors or processed values based on the raw values inmemory 206.

Upon detecting a subsequent signal from a remote device (e.g., mobiledevice 104), at 412, the sensor device 112 may be configured to transmitsome or all of the data stored in memory (e.g., either or both of theraw data elements from the sensors or processed values based on the rawvalues in memory 206) to the remote device at 414.

In some embodiments, the remote device (e.g., device 104) can beconfigured to wirelessly transmit an appropriate amount of power to thesensor device 112 depending on the kind of activity that is to bemonitored by the sensor device 112. Since the amount of powertransmitted to the sensor device is a function of the duration of thetransmission, once it has determined the power required by the sensordevice 112, the remote device 104 can transmit for the appropriateamount of time in order to transfer enough power to the sensor device112. For instance, in one test example it was found that a remote device104 needed to charge for the following durations in order to providesufficient power to the sensor device 112 for the following activities:

Maximum Charging time per hour Usage Scenario of activity All dayactivity tracking and movement  2 seconds detection (no heart rate) +temperature logging All day activity tracking and movement 20 secondsdetection (with heart rate) Speed and distance measurement with 40seconds accelerometer (no heart rate) Speed and distance measurementwith 60 seconds accelerometer (with heart rate)

In some embodiments, the sensor device 112 is configured such that asufficient charge to power the device for necessary monitoring can beachieved in sixty seconds or less. In other embodiments, the sensordevice 112 is configured such that a sufficient charge to power thedevice for necessary monitoring can be achieved in forty seconds orless, thirty seconds or less, twenty seconds or less, ten seconds orless, five seconds or less, two seconds or less, or one second or less.In some embodiments, data transmission by the sensor device 112 issuspended while the sensor device is being charged in order to reducethe amount of time it takes to charge the sensor device 112.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting a method 500 that a remote device (e.g.,device 104) can use to transmit the appropriate amount of power to asensor device (e.g., sensor device 112) according to variousembodiments. FIG. 5 will be described with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and2. However, it should be understood that this is just for convenienceand that the method depicted in FIG. 5 should not be construed as beinglimited to those specific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 5, method 500 begins at 502 where the remote device 104determines which sensor data the sensor device 112 will be required tocollect. This could be based on a number of factors. For instance, inone embodiment, each sensor device may be pre-configured to alwayscollect the same sensor data. In other embodiments, a user may enterdesired sensor data to be collected into the remote device 104. Inanother embodiment, a user of an activity monitoring app running on theremote device 104 (e.g. a mobile phone) may be executing a particulartraining plan or workout routine on the activity monitoring app that maydictate the type of sensor data to be obtained. Suitable software appsmay include, for example, those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat.No. 9,392,941, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

By way of example, consider an embodiment where the sensor device iscapable of collecting speed, distance, and heart rate data. In such anexample, a user (or their app) might request that the speed and distancebe collected, but not heart rate data. The remote device 104 might,therefore, be configured to use this input to determine that only speedand distance data need to be collected by the sensor device at 502.Additionally, in some embodiments, a user may select from a menu ofpre-determined sensor configurations suited for a particular activity.In this example, the user might select from categories such as: running,hiking, bicycling, sleeping, etc. Based on the selected category, theremote device 104 may be configured to determine the required sensorsand sensor data for the sensor device 112.

At 504, the remote device 104 may determine a duration of the sensingperiod. According to some embodiments, the determination may be based ona user input to the remote device 104 indicating the duration of theactivity or exercise in which the user (e.g., individual 102) willengage. Additionally, it may be possible for the remote device todetermine the duration based on pre-set values for particular categoriesof activities selected by the user. For instance, if sleep monitoring isthe activity indicated by the user, then remote device may default to aduration of 8 hours. In another example, the remote device may defaultor may be programmed to a duration equal to an amount of time sufficientto capture data from a predetermined activity such as a run, a slow walkor bike ride (e.g. a walk or bike ride commute to work), an individualathletic event such as a race, or a team athletic event such as abasketball or soccer game. Additionally, in some embodiments, the usermay not be required to enter a duration at all and the remote device 104may default to a pre-determined maximum duration.

At 506, the remote device 104 may calculate the required power needed bythe sensor device 112 based on the kind of sensor data determined atstep 502 and the duration of the sensing period determined at step 504.In some embodiments, the values of the required charge may be stored inmemory elements of the remote device 104 and may, for instance, beorganized in the form of a look-up-table or the like. Some embodimentsmay also or instead calculate the number based on known power usagefigures for the various sensors that will be used by the sensor device112 for the task at hand. For instance, the remote device may know theaverage power usage rate per unit time for a particular sensor element.By multiplying that number by the duration of the sensing period, theremote device may calculate the total amount of power that will berequired for the task at hand. In other embodiments, the calculation mayinvolve factoring in the average power usage rate per unit time averagedamong a plurality of modes that the sensor element is likely to, or hashistorically operated according to, embodiments where the sensor elementhas different operation modes. Operation modes may be, for example,different sensing modes or power consumption modes.

At 508, the remote device may be configured to wirelessly transmit thepower to sensor device 112, which can harvest it using inductiveelements contained in the wireless interface 230 of the sensor device112. According to embodiments, the amount of power transmitted is afunction of the length of the transmission time. Accordingly, the remotedevice 104 may be configured to transmit its signal to the sensor device112 for an appropriate amount of time to transfer the required powercalculated at 506.

In some embodiments, it may be possible to transmit sensor data from asensor device to a remote server for storage and analysis. Such a systemis shown in FIGS. 6A and B. FIG. 6A is a block diagram depicting asystem 600 capable of storing sensor data remotely from a sensor deviceaccording to various embodiments. FIG. 6 will be described with respectto FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. However, it should be understood that this isjust for convenience and that the method depicted in FIGS. 6A and 6Bshould not be construed as being limited to those specific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the system 600 may include a sensor device 602, areader/remote device 604, and a remote server 606 that iscommunicatively coupled to the remote device 604 via a network 608 suchas the internet. Sensor device 602 may be any suitable sensor device forembedding in a garment, such as sensor devices 106 or 112. Reader/remotedevice 604 may be any suitable reader (e.g., any of readers 114, 116,118, and 118) capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from thesensor device 602. In some embodiments, the reader/remote device 604 maycomprise a device with NFC capabilities, such as a smartphone, such thatan NFC channel 612 can be established between the reader/remote device604 and the sensor device 602. The reader/remote device 604 maycommunicate with server 606 via a network 608 such as the internet usingcommunications channels 614 and 616. Communications channels 614 and 616may comprise any suitable communication channels such as wired Ethernet,cellular, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth LE, to name a fewnon-limiting examples.

FIG. 6B is a sequence diagram illustrating how the sensor device 602,reader/remote device 604, and the remote server 606 of system 600 maycommunicate with each other according to various embodiments. As shownin FIG. 6B, the remote device 604 may transmit a signal (e.g., an NFCsignal) 610 to sensor device 602. Upon receiving signal 610 from theremote device 604, in some embodiments, the sensor device may transmitsensor authentication information 612 to the remote device 604.

The remote device 604 may then transmit an authentication request 614 tothe remote server 606. The authentication message 614 may simply be thesensor authentication information 612 unaltered, in some embodiments.However, in other embodiments, the authentication message may includeboth the sensor authentication information 612 as well as additionalauthentication information (e.g., user account information, deviceidentification information, payment information, or other relevantinformation, to name a few non-limiting examples). Upon receipt of theauthentication request 614, the remote server may perform authentication616 of either or both of the sensor device 602 and the remote device604. After performing authentication 616, the remote server 606 maytransmit an authentication decision 618 to the remote device 604.

In some embodiments, the device authentication request 614 and deviceauthentication 616 can be used as theft prevention. For instance, if anarticle of apparel with an embedded sensor device 112 is stolen, theowner of the apparel could report the theft to a service provider (e.g.,remote server 606), which could flag the associated article of appareland/or the sensor device 112 as stolen and remove all authentication foruse of the stolen article of apparel—effectively rendering the sensordevice 112 associated with the stolen article useless.

In some embodiments, this process can be reversed if a lost or stolenarticle of apparel is subsequently recovered. When an article isrecovered, the owner can report the recovery to the service provider(e.g., remote server 606) and the service provider can then remove thelost or stolen flag from the item. In this scenario, the next time anattempt to authenticate the article of apparel is made, it should besuccessful.

If one or both of the sensor device 602 and the remote device 604 couldnot be authenticated, then the remote device 604 may be prevented fromusing some or all of the functionality of the sensor device 602. Forinstance, consider an example where one or more of the sensors 204 ofsensor device are “premium” add-on sensors that are available only withauthentication. In such a situation, the sensor device 602 may require aunique code or ID from the remote server 606 in order to activate the“premium” sensors. Without the unique code or ID from the remote server606, the “premium” sensors will not function. In this way, the remoteserver 606 may keep un-authenticated remote devices 604 and sensordevice 602 from accessing the “premium” sensors by withholding theunique code or ID. This restricted access to the “premium” sensors can,for instance, be used by service providers as an incentive to users toregister a sensor device 112 or subscribe to additional services offeredby a service provider.

Upon receipt of the authentication decision 618, the remote device maytransmit another signal 620 (e.g., an NFC signal) to the sensor device602. Signal 620 may include information indicating which sensors shouldcollect data and for how long. Additionally, signal 620 may also includeany unique codes or IDs necessary to activate one or more sensors 204 ofthe sensor device 602. The sensor device 602 may then proceed to collectand store sensor data 622 (as, for instance, discussed with respect toFIGS. 3 and 4).

The remote device 604 may then transmit a signal 624 (e.g., an NFCsignal) to sensor device 602. Upon receipt of the signal 624, the sensordevice 602 may transmit collected sensor data 626 to the remote device604. In some embodiments, signal 624 may define a subset of sensor datato be sent to remote device 604 as part of the collected sensor data624. However, it is also possible for the sensor device 602 to transmitall saved sensor data as the collected sensor data 626. Upon receipt ofthe collected sensor data 626, the remote device 604 may transmit asensor record 628 to the remote server 606 via, e.g., network 608. Insome embodiments, the sensor record 628 may simply comprise thecollected sensor data 626. However, it is also possible that the remotedevice may perform further processing on the collected sensor data 626and that the sensor record 628 may be the result of the furtherprocessing. Additionally, the sensor record may also consist of multipleiterations of collected sensor data 626 taken, for instance, overmultiple instances of an activity (e.g., an entire week's worth of sleepmonitoring data, or an entire week's worth or workout records, possiblyin accordance with a predetermined workout plan). When it receives thesensor record 628, the remote server 606 may perform further analysisand/or calculations on the sensor data and may also store the data foruse at a later date by, for example, the user.

In some embodiments the sensor device 112 may be prompted to send thesensor record 628 to the remote device 604 under several differentscenarios. For instance, the sensor device may be configured to beginrecording after a first “tap” from the remote device 604 and thenconfigured to send the sensor record 628 upon the second “tap.” In someembodiments, as noted above, sensor may be configured to automaticallytransmit record data 628 at pre-determined (e.g., by user input) timeintervals or at certain metric milestones (e.g., X number of steps, or Ydistance, etc.) Additionally, the sensor device 112 in some embodimentsmay be configured to transmit sensor record 628 based on a recognizedpattern of movement (e.g. a jump movement), and/or speed thatcorresponds to known start and ending patterns of movement, and/orspeed. The sensor device 112 may also be configured to automaticallystart and end its recording based on similar parameters so that only“real” work out data is collected and/or calculated.

Because power may be at a premium for the sensor devices 112, methods ofminimizing power usage can be important. As such, the sensor devices 112may be configured to set various states. FIG. 7 displays a method 700for reducing power usage in sensor devices 106 according to variousembodiments. FIG. 7 will be described with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and2. However, it should be understood that this is just for convenienceand that the method depicted in FIG. 7 should not be construed as beinglimited to those specific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 7, the method 700 may begin at 702 where a sensordevice 112 detects a signal (e.g., an NFC signal) from a remote device104. In some embodiments, the detected signal may contain informationthat causes the sensor device 112 to set a state. For instance, when thesignal indicates that it will charge the device, the state of the sensordevice 112 could be set to a charging state. Conversely, when the signaldetected at 702 indicates that the sensing device 112 will not becharging and will, instead, be collecting sensor data, the sensingdevice 112 may set a sensing state. Setting the state may comprisesetting a flag or a value in a register of processors 202 and/or storinga value in memory 206. After receiving the signal, the sensor device 112may determine what state it is in at 704. In some embodiments,determining the state may comprise reading the value of a state flagfrom the register of processors 202 or memory 206, for instance.

If at 704, the method determines that the sensor device 112 is in asense state, then sensor device 112 may be configured to turn one ormore sensors ON at 710. In some embodiments, turning the sensors ON maycomprise providing power to the sensors from the power circuitry 220. Itis also possible, however, that turning the one or more sensors ON maycomprise sending one or more signals to the sensors 204 from, forinstance, the processors 202. Additionally, when the sensor device 112determines that it is in a sense state at 704, the sensing device 112may also turn NFC circuitry OFF. In some embodiments, turning the NFCcircuitry OFF may comprise cutting off power to the components of thewireless interface 230 from the power circuitry 220. However, turningNFC circuitry OFF may also comprise sending a signal from processors 202to wireless interface 230 instructing one or more of the components ofthe wireless interface 230 to power down. While FIG. 7 shows 710 and 712in a particular order, they need not be performed in the orderdepicted—indeed, they could be performed in the reverse order or inparallel in various embodiments. After 712, the method 700 may loop backto 704.

If, at 704, the sensor device 112 determines that it is in a chargestate, then the sensor device may proceed to 706, where one or moresensors are turned OFF. In some embodiments, this may comprise turningall of the sensors OFF, but that need not be the case in everyembodiment. Turning one or more sensors OFF may comprise removing powerfrom the sensors 204 by the power circuitry 220. It is also possible,however, that turning the one or more sensors OFF may comprise sendingone or more signals to the sensors 204 from, for instance, theprocessors 202. At 708, when the sensor device 112 detects that it is ina charge state, the sensor device 112 may turn NFC circuitry ON. In someembodiments, turning the NFC circuitry ON may comprise providing powerto the components of wireless interface 230 from the power circuitry220. It is also possible, however, that turning the NFC circuitry ON maycomprise sending one or more signals to the wireless interface 230 from,for instance, the processors 202. While FIG. 7 shows 706 and 708 in aparticular order, they need not be performed in the orderdepicted—indeed, they could be performed in the reverse order or inparallel in various embodiments. After 708, the method 700 may loop backto 704.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method 800 of interacting with asensor device (e.g., sensor device 112) using a remote device (e.g.,remote device 104, such as a smart phone). FIG. 8 will be described withrespect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, and FIGS. 6A and 6B. However, it should beunderstood that this is just for convenience and that the methoddepicted in FIG. 8 should not be construed as being limited to thosespecific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 8, the method 800 may begin when a remote device 104detects a sensor device 112 at 802. In some embodiments, the remotedevice 104 may passively detect the sensor device 112 by transmissionsemanating from the sensor device 112. However, the remote device 104 mayalso actively search for sensor device 112 by transmitting a signal(e.g., an NFC signal) that will activate sensor device 112.Additionally, in some embodiments, detection of the sensor device 112may be triggered by placing the remote device 104 in proximity to thesensor device 112. A user may choose to place the remote device 104,such as a smart phone, in proximity to the sensor device 112 just priorto engaging in an athletic activity, such as going for a run.

In response to detecting the sensor device at 802, the remote device 104may perform authentication at 804. In some embodiments, theauthentication may comprise the authentication steps discussed withrespect to FIG. 6B. After authenticating the sensor device 112, theremote device 104 may transmit a request for sensor data to the sensordevice at 806. In some embodiments, the request for sensor data maycomprise information identifying specific sensors from which data willbe requested and/or a duration of sensing activity.

At 808, the remote device 104 may subsequently detect the sensor device112 again. This may occur, for example, when a user places the remotedevice 104, such as a smart phone, in proximity to the sensor device 112just after completing an athletic activity, such as going for a run.Again, the remote device 104 may either passively or actively detect thesensor device 112, as discussed above. Upon detection, the remote device104 may trigger the sensor device to transmit sensor data to the remotedevice 104 and the remote device 104 may receive the collected sensordata at 810. In some embodiments, the remote device may subsequentlytransmit sensor data to a remote server (e.g., remote server 606) via anetwork (e.g., network 608) at 812. In some embodiments, the subsequenttransmission may be made during an activity. For instance, someembodiments include a facility for a user to define certain timeinterval (e.g., 1 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 1 minute, etc.) to maketransmissions. In embodiments, the transmission may be made viaBluetooth, Bluetooth LE, or any suitable wireless technology and may beeither via a server or directly with the remote device (e.g.,smartphone, smart watch, or any capable mobile device).

In some embodiments, sensor device 112 may be used to facilitate securetransactions such as point of sale purchases using a wireless reader. Anembodiment of this functionality if described with respect to FIG. 9.FIG. 9 will be described with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, and FIGS. 6Aand 6B. However, it should be understood that this is just forconvenience and that the method depicted in FIG. 9 should not beconstrued as being limited to those specific embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method 900 for conducting a securetransaction using a sensor device (e.g., sensor device 112). As shown inFIG. 9, method 900 begins at 902 when a reader (e.g., payment reader114) receives a request to initiate a secure transaction. For example,if the reader 114 is located near a point of sale device, the requestmay take the form of a user scanning an item or the like. After therequest to begin the secure transaction is initiated, the reader 114 maydetect the sensor device 112 at 904. According to various embodiments,the reader 114 may either actively or passively detect the sensor device112, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 8. Additionally, the reader114 may be configured to detect a sensor device 112 when it isphysically in proximity to reader 114.

After detecting sensor device, the reader 114 may authenticate thesensor device at 906. According to embodiments, the authentication maytake the form of the authentication discussed with respect to FIG. 6B.For example, in the case of a point of sale transaction, the sensordevice 112 may provide to the reader 114 account information or uniqueID information that can then be transmitted by the reader device 114 toa remote server (e.g., remote server 606). The remote server 606 canthen perform authentication of the account information or unique ID (by,e.g., contacting a financial institution or third party) and transmitthe result of the authentication to reader device 114. Uponauthentication, the reader device 114 may be configured to conduct thesecure transaction (e.g., authorize a sale, or the like) at 908.

In some embodiments in the case of a point of sale transaction,authentication of user account information and confirmation of apurchase of a new piece of athletic apparel (such as a pair of shoes)with an embedded sensor device 112 could automatically register theapparel with a user's online account. The user may then be prompted inthe future to associate the apparel with particular activities, workout,training plans, events, etc.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating how an individual 102 would use thesensor device and a remote device 104 to collect sensor data relating toan activity or exercise performed by the individual 102. FIG. 10 will bedescribed with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, and FIGS. 6A and 6B. However,it should be understood that this is just for convenience and that themethod depicted in FIG. 10 should not be construed as being limited tothose specific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 10, the method 1000 can begin when a user opens anapplication specific to the sensor device 112 in the remote device 104at 1002. For instance, if the remote device 104 is a smart phone, the auser may open an application (app) associated with the sensor device 112embedded in apparel. In some embodiments, a specific app running on theremote device 104 may be configured to launch automatically based ondetection of the sensor. For instance, if the sensor device 112 is asensor for running, then a specific running app can be configured tolaunch based on detection of sensor device 112. Similarly, for example,the sensor device 112 is embedded in an outdoor shoe, then a specificoutdoor app could be configured to be launched. Suitable apps mayinclude, for example, those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No.9,392,941, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.The app may then prompt a user to enter parameters and/or a duration ofan activity or exercise at 1004. For instance, the user may be promptedto select which of several sensor items (e.g., speed, distance,heartbeat, temperature, etc.) that the user would like to be recorded bysensor device 112. In some embodiments, the user may be given severalpre-selected groups of sensors to be used such that the pre-selectedgroups are tailored to a particular activity. Additionally, the user maybe prompted to define a length of time that the sensor device 112 shouldperform its sensing function.

At 1006, a connection between the remote device 104 and the sensordevice 112 may be initiated. In some embodiments, the connection may beinitiated by placing the remote device 104 in close physical proximityto the sensor device 112 (e.g., “tapping” the remote device 104 to thesensor device 112). In one embodiment, the apparel housing the embeddedsensor device 112 may include visual indicators such as stitching,embossing, printing, or functional items such as buttons or pockets thatvisually indicate to the wearer the location of the sensor device 112which may otherwise not be visible to the user without the indicators.In some embodiments the indicators are specifically configured tosignify the location of the sensor device 112 (like a crosshairssymbol), while in others (like buttons or pockets), the indicators haveother functions or are traditional apparel accents and only additionallysignal to the knowledgeable wearer the presence and location of thesensor device 112.

Once the connection between remote device 104 and sensor device 112 hasbeen initiated at 1006, the remote device 104 may transmit necessarycommands to sensor device 112. For instance, the remote device 104 maytransmit commands that indicate which of a number of sensors should beactivated and what information from those sensors should be stored inthe memory 206 of the sensor device 112. Additionally, the remote device104 may instruct the sensor device 112 regarding a duration of sensoractivity.

At 1010, the user may perform the activity or exercise that the sensordevice will record and, after the user completes the activity orexercise, a subsequent connection between the remote device 104 and thesensor device 112 may be initiated at 1012. After initiating thesubsequent connection, the collected data can be received from thesensor device 112 at 1014. The remote device 104 may then optionallytransmit the received sensor data or data based on the received sensordata to a remote server (e.g., server 606) at 1016 for, e.g., lateraccess by the user.

Suitable portable fitness or activity monitoring software applicationsmay include, for example, the features of those disclosed in commonlyowned U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,941, which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

In some embodiments, the software app running on the remote device 104may also include “hidden” features that cannot be accessed unlessunlocked in standard operation of the app without an additional step. Inone embodiment, the additional step may include the selection orpurchase of a particular health or fitness goal or workout plan,attaining particular personal performance metrics, or activating the appduring a specified time period (e.g. on a holiday or particular day ofthe week) or when the remote device 104 is being used in a specifiedgeographical location (e.g. in a specific city, park, etc.).

In some embodiments, the status (i.e., whether they are locked orunlocked) of the “hidden” features may be stored in memory of the remotedevice 104. For instance, in some embodiments, the “hidden” features bybe activated by a communication from one or more sensor devices 112. Byway of example, consider a case where sensor device 112 is embedded in apair of shoes, as is shown in FIG. 1A with respect to sensor device 106.It may be possible to have hidden features (e.g., the calculation ordisplay of metrics that are relevant to runners) remain locked in thesoftware app until they are specifically unlocked by communicationbetween the remote device 104 and the sensor device 112. Once unlocked,the software app may be enabled to perform the specialized calculationsor provide specialized feedback and subsequently make it available tothe individual 102 via mobile device 118.

In another embodiment, when the remote device 104 is placed in closephysical proximity to the sensor device 112 embedded in the article ofapparel (e.g., “tapping” the remote device 104 to the sensor device112), the remote device 104 may be configured to open an app, and to usethe registration information from the app to also register the articleof apparel associated with the sensor device 112.

In all embodiments, the application cache may take the form of abytecode cache, a source code cache, a machine code cache, or somecombination thereof. In an embodiment, the predictive cache contains twoor more levels of cache. For example, one embodiment includes both asource code cache and a bytecode cache. Translating or compiling sourcecode to byte code takes processing time and resources, therefore thepredictive cache should only compile and store bytecode for applicationsthat have a higher likelihood of being launched. Therefore, in anembodiment, the bytecode cache is reserved for the higher priorityapplications and the source code cache is reserved for lower priorityapplications. One example of this type of distinction would be to cachebytecode for applications with a predictive score above a certainthreshold, and only cache source code for applications with a predictivescore below that threshold.

Embodiments shown in FIG. 1-10 can be implemented, for example, usingone or more well-known computer systems or one or more componentsincluded in computer system 1100 shown in FIG. 11. Computer system 1100can be any well-known computer capable of performing the functionsdescribed herein.

Computer system 1100 includes one or more processors (also calledcentral processing units, or CPUs), such as a processor 1104. Processor1104 is connected to a communication infrastructure or bus 1106.

One or more processors 1104 may each be a graphics processing unit(GPU). In an embodiment, a GPU is a processor that is a specializedelectronic circuit designed to process mathematically intensiveapplications. The GPU may have a parallel structure that is efficientfor parallel processing of large blocks of data, such as mathematicallyintensive data common to computer graphics applications, images, videos,etc.

Computer system 1100 also includes user input/output device(s) 1103,such as monitors, keyboards, pointing devices, etc., that communicatewith communication infrastructure 1106 through user input/outputinterface(s) 1102.

Computer system 1100 also includes a main or primary memory 1108, suchas random access memory (RAM). Main memory 1108 may include one or morelevels of cache. Main memory 1108 has stored therein control logic(i.e., computer software) and/or data.

Computer system 1100 may also include one or more secondary storagedevices or memory 1110. Secondary memory 1110 may include, for example,a hard disk drive 1112 and/or a removable storage device or drive 1114.Removable storage drive 1114 may be a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tapedrive, a compact disk drive, an optical storage device, tape backupdevice, and/or any other storage device/drive.

Removable storage drive 1114 may interact with a removable storage unit1118. Removable storage unit 1118 includes a computer usable or readablestorage device having stored thereon computer software (control logic)and/or data. Removable storage unit 1118 may be a floppy disk, magnetictape, compact disk, DVD, SD-Card, optical storage disk, and/or any othercomputer data storage device. Removable storage drive 1114 reads fromand/or writes to removable storage unit 1118 in a well-known manner.

According to an exemplary embodiment, secondary memory 1110 may includeother means, instrumentalities or other approaches for allowing computerprograms and/or other instructions and/or data to be accessed bycomputer system 1100. Such means, instrumentalities or other approachesmay include, for example, a removable storage unit 1122 and an interface1120. Examples of the removable storage unit 1122 and the interface 1120may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as thatfound in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROMor PROM) and associated socket, a memory stick and USB port, a memorycard and associated memory card slot, and/or any other removable storageunit and associated interface.

Computer system 1100 may further include a communication or networkinterface 1124. Communication interface 1124 enables computer system1100 to communicate and interact with any combination of remote devices,remote networks, remote entities, etc. (individually and collectivelyreferenced by reference number 1128). For example, communicationinterface 1124 may allow computer system 1100 to communicate with remotedevices 1128 over communications path 1126, which may be wired and/orwireless, and which may include any combination of LANs, WANs, theInternet, etc. Control logic and/or data may be transmitted to and fromcomputer system 1100 via communication path 1126.

In an embodiment, a tangible apparatus or article of manufacturecomprising a tangible computer useable or readable medium having controllogic (software) stored thereon is also referred to herein as a computerprogram product or program storage device. This includes, but is notlimited to, computer system 1100, main memory 1108, secondary memory1110, and removable storage units 1118 and 1122, as well as tangiblearticles of manufacture embodying any combination of the foregoing. Suchcontrol logic, when executed by one or more data processing devices(such as computer system 1100), causes such data processing devices tooperate as described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device embedded in an article ofapparel for monitoring an individual engaged in a physical activity, theelectronic device comprising: a sensor device configured to detect datarelating to the physical activity; a memory configured to store thedetected data and to store payment data associated with the individual;a wireless interface configured to communicate with an externalcommunication device; and one or more processors communicatively coupledto the wireless interface, the one or more processors configured to:receive a transaction request from the external communication device;and cause the wireless interface to transmit the payment data to theexternal communication device in response to the receiving of thetransaction request.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein theone or more processors are further configured to: receive a request forauthentication data from the external communication device; and causethe wireless interface to transmit the authentication data to theexternal communication device in response to the receiving of therequest.
 3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the authenticationinformation comprises a sensor identifier.
 4. The electronic device ofclaim 2, wherein the authentication information comprises personalidentification information of the individual.
 5. The electronic deviceof claim 1, wherein the payment data comprises a financial accountnumber.
 6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the payment datacomprises an identification of a financial institution.
 7. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the payment data comprises anapparel account identifier.
 8. A method for carrying out a financialtransaction using an electronic device embedded in an article of apparelfor monitoring an individual engaged in a physical activity, the methodcomprising: detecting data relating to the physical activity; storingthe detected data and payment data associated with the individual in amemory; receiving a transaction request from an external communicationdevice; and transmitting the payment data to the external communicationdevice in response to the receiving of the transaction request.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a request forauthentication data from the external communication device; andtransmitting the authentication data to the external communicationdevice in response to the receiving of the request.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the authentication information comprises a sensoridentifier.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the authenticationinformation comprises personal identification information of theindividual.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the payment datacomprises a financial account number.
 13. The method of claim 8, whereinthe payment data comprises an identification of a financial institution.14. The method of claim 8, wherein the payment data comprises an apparelaccount identifier.
 15. A method for carrying out a financialtransaction, comprising: detecting a sensor device embedded within anarticle of apparel; transmitting a transaction request to the sensordevice; receiving payment information from the sensor device;communicating with a financial institution associated with the paymentinformation; and receiving payment confirmation from the financialinstitution.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:transmitting a request for authentication data to the sensor device; andreceiving authentication data in response to the request.
 17. The methodof claim 16, wherein the authentication data comprises identificationinformation of the individual.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein theauthentication data comprises an apparel account identifier associatedwith an apparel company.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:identifying an item associated with the financial transaction as beingan item of apparel branded by the apparel company; and transmitting aregistration request to the apparel company to register.
 20. The methodof claim 19, further comprising receiving confirmation from the apparelcompany that the item of apparel has been registered to the individual'sapparel account.